###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
§@%*^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^*%@§
#§@%*--^¨¨ ¨¨^--*%@§#
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
§§@@%-¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨-%@@§§
§§@@**^¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨^**@@§§
###§@%*-^¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨^-*%@§###
####@%*-^¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨^-*%@####
###§@%*-^¨ **************************************** ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
##§%*^^¨¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨^^*%§##
###§@%*-^¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨^-*%@§###
§%%--^^¨¨¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨¨¨^^--%%§
###§@%*-^¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨^-*%@§###
#§%%-¨¨¨¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨¨¨¨-%%§#
#§§%-¨¨¨¨¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨¨¨¨¨-%§§#
###§@%*-^¨ WATER. ¨^-*%@§###
§@%-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-%@§
###§@%*-^¨ ----%%%%%%%%---- ¨^-*%@§###
#§§@***-^¨ --%% %%-- ¨^-***@§§#
§%*^¨¨¨¨¨¨ -----%% FAIRIES LIVE HERE. %%----- ¨¨¨¨¨¨^*%§
#§§§@%*-^¨ --%% %%-- ¨^-*%@§§§#
#§@@%--¨¨¨ ----%%%%%%%%---- ¨¨¨--%@@§#
§%*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*%§
###§@%*-^¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨^-*%@§###
####@%*-^¨ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ¨^-*%@####
###§@%*-^¨ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ¨^-*%@§###
#§%%--¨¨¨¨ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¨¨¨¨--%%§#
###§@%*-^¨ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
##@*-¨¨¨¨¨ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨¨¨¨¨-*@##
###§@%*-^¨ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ¨^-*%@§###
#@@%-¨¨¨¨¨ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE ¨¨¨¨¨-%@@#
###§@%*-^¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨^-*%@§###
§@*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*@§
§§§@**-¨¨¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨¨¨-**@§§§
§%-^^^^¨¨¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨¨¨^^^^-%§
§§§%**-^¨¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨¨^-**%§§§
§@@%-^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^-%@@§
§%*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*%§
##@*^¨¨¨¨¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨¨¨¨¨^*@##
###§@%*-^¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨^-*%@§###
§%-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-%§
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ **************************************** ¨^-*%@§###
###§@%*-^¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨^-*%@§###
#§@%**^¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨^**%@§#
#§%%---¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨---%%§#
#§@*-^¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨^-*@§#
####§@%-^¨ ¨^-%@§####
#§%*---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---*%§#
###§@%*-^¨ ¨^-*%@§###
§§%%%%*-^¨ ¨^-*%%%%§§
#§§@%**-^¨ ¨^-**%@§§#